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Tal Anderson

Tal Anderson Issue cover woman with long flowing brown hear wearing a denim shirt and table of contents of the October November issue

Aliya Rahman: Crash at the Intersection of Disability and Authority

Aliya Rahman, a software security engineer and former engineering manager, experienced a life-altering traumatic brain injury (TBI) in August 2024. Long navigating the tech industry as an autistic, queer, woman of color, she brought a unique perspective and a strong keen awareness of structural patterns to her work. While on the challenging road to recovery, … Read more

Dr. Fabian Carrera–Composing a Life Without Limits

Music is the throughline that carried Dr. Fabian Carrera from his earliest memories in Ecuador to a career as a classical guitarist, music?therapy practitioner and university professor. What began as a comforting sound filling the hospital room of a small child in Quito became the discipline, resilience and purpose that shaped his life’s work. The … Read more

Dr. Thomas Flynn – The Healer Becomes the Patient (Pt. 2)

In the previous issue of ABILITY Magazine, Gina Velasquez sat down with her former ophthalmologist, Dr. Thomas Flynn, and his daughter, Dr. Erin Flynn, also an ophthalmologist. Together, they reflected on the height of the AIDS epidemic in New York City during the 1980s and 1990s — a period when Dr. Flynn purposefully took on … Read more

LongHaulPaul: A Quick Demo Ride

I put over 200,000 miles on my 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700. I didn’t wear it out, I raffled it off for a Multiple Sclerosis charity. My 2025 Yamaha Tenere 700 barely has 60,000 miles on the clock and still smells new! Because I travel the country full time sharing my story, I always add accessories … Read more

Tarris Marie on Fashion, Fiction, and Finding the Light

The journey of a novelist is often one of discovery, and for author Tarris Marie, that path was paved through a life transition. After a career in the fashion industry as a buyer, Tarris faced a life-altering diagnosis of Stargardt’s disease. The progressive loss of her central sight caused a transition away from the corporate … Read more

Tal Anderson Issue Crossword Puzzle

Tip: Some answers are found in the Josh Turek Issue

DARCYS: The Next Evolution of Media Access Awards

After more than four decades of advancing disability representation in Hollywood, the historic Media Access Awards—co-founded in 1979 by veteran TV producer Fern Field and legendary producer Norman Lear—have officially rebranded as The Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The DARCYS). Co-produced by Easterseals Disability Services and Film Independent, the reimagined awards program marks a … Read more

Neurodivergence and Higher Education

By Valerie Fletcher, Principal Investigator from the New England ADA Center and Executive Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design We all know that physical and mental reasons for disability occur along a continuum. The increase in mental reasons for disability has introduced terms into everyday use that previously were unfamiliar to most people. … Read more

7 New Phrases Ableds are Using to Avoid Ever Saying ‘Disabled’

We all love it when able-bodied people refuse to say the word “disabled” out loud. Just like them, we feel squirmy and uncomfortable when we think about our weird bodies and brains. So here are seven of our favorite new things they’re calling us to make sure our experience is never acknowledged — just like … Read more

Junot Díaz: Finding Voice in the Immigrant Story

The life of acclaimed Dominican American author Junot Díaz serves as a case study in perseverance and tenacity. After arriving in New York City in the 1970s at the age of seven, Díaz and his family soon relocated to New Jersey, where they began their pursuit of the American dream, a journey familiar to many … Read more

Tal Anderson —“The Pitt” and Disability Representation

Actor, author and disability advocate Tal Anderson has built a career bringing authenticity and depth to neurodivergent characters on screen. Audiences may recognize her from Atypical and As We See It, while her latest role as Becca King in The Pitt has earned her an Emmy nomination as well as a DARCY nomination in the … Read more